This drink is an almost miraculous moment, where you literally just take some sugar, and some ginger, mix it in water, let it sit, and then in a few days, you have a powerful fermented mixture to make your very own ginger beer without adding any commercial yeast at all. You are basically harnessing the power of nature to make a Moscow Mule.
ITEMS USED:
INGREDIENTS:
‘Ginger Bug’ Ingredients (First Day):
2 cups (500ml) filtered water
2 Tbsp (22g) finely chopped or grated ginger (skin on is fine)
2 Tbsp (28g) granulated sugar
Ginger bug feeding (every 24 hours):
2 Tbsp (22g) finely chopped or grated ginger (skin on is fine)
2 Tbsp (28g) granulated sugar
Ginger Beer:
2 quarts filtered water
1 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp (273g) granulated sugar *see notes*
1/4 cup (54g) ginger, grated
1/2 cup (110g) strained ginger bug liquid
*optional* Juice of 3 lemons
*notes on sugar in ginger beer: You're welcome to make the ginger beer much less sweet if you prefer. I would say the lowest you can go on sugar is 1/2 cup (170g).
INSTRUCTIONS:
Method:
To cultivate your own wild yeast, combine filtered water with granulated sugar, finely chopped ginger and place in a 1-quart glass/plastic container.
Mix together until the sugar is dissolved, and cover with a cheesecloth. Let it sit for 24 hours.
Moving forward, add the same amount of ginger and sugar every 24 hours until it becomes fizzy. This should take about 2-3 days.
Once the ginger bug is fizzy, pour 2 quarts of water into a large pot. To that, in granulated sugar and grated ginger. Bring up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and let it sit for 5-8 minutes. Let it cool down naturally until it reaches room temperature, leaving all of the ingredients in there to steep.
Once it’s up to room temperature, strain your liquid through a fine mesh colander. Make sure to press out the juices.
Next, add in ½ cup of your strained ginger bug and the juice of 3 lemons. Mix together until thoroughly combined and transfer that mixture to some flip-top bottles. Make sure to leave 2 inches of head room.
Let them sit out at room temperature with the flip bottle tops locked, for 3-6 days or until they’re fizzy.
Once they’ve reached that point, you can refrigerate them; but make sure you’re opening the top and burping them once a day.
